In the large house of Matignon, Elisabeth Borne imposes her way of working, but also her style. On the first floor, visitors are no longer surprised to be systematically received around the large glass table set up near the windows. Brighter, more practical than the austere Louis XV style desk on which Léon Blum signed the famous Matignon agreements in 1936. Édouard Philippe and Jean Castex could spend whole hours there. With Élisabeth Borne, it now serves as a service where all the files she has to deal with on a daily basis are stacked.
But that’s not his only mania. In meetings, the head of government always keeps an eye on the easel discreetly placed on the table, the size of a card, on which each morning is inscribed her precise program for the day. A way to always have an eye on your schedules, not to be overwhelmed when a meeting drags on.
Among his other habits, that of always writing with a four-color pen. Also a few indulgences, to keep you going during long working days: small cups of biscuits, chocolate and caramelized sweets, topped off with a glass of soda… or orgeat syrup. Not to mention her favorite menthol-flavored vape that this former smoker, who quit in 2014, never lets go. And to which she has the firm intention not to give up.
A photo with Macron, a poster of Pradet under the sun
Unlike her two predecessors, where personal items abounded in the four corners of the room, the Prime Minister assumes a more refined signature. Rare photos, including one taken with former Defense Minister Florence Parly, her friend. Another alongside Raoni Metuktire, the Maori chief. Then with Emmanuel Macron, when he decorated her with the insignia of the Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit.
Not far away, a large Steve McCurry photo frame, of which she is a fan. Also a poster of Le Pradet, where she spent her holidays last summer. And near the fireplace, on a console, a model of the metro donated from the time when she ran the RATP. As well as a Republican Guard headdress, under glass. “A gift I was given for the New Year,” she slips.